Edge HMI module server system and method

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments include a system and method of receiving, by an edge computing device, from a server processor of a cloud platform coupled to a network, human-machine-interface logic associated with a local display of data received from a device of a distributed environment coupled to the network. Further, the system and method includes configuring the edge computing device as a human-machine-interface, coupling a data ingester and establishing a data connection to the distributed environment of the network, operating the data ingester to discover the device and receive data from the device, and processing a local graphical visualization of at least one update to the network.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/566,345, filed Sep. 10, 2019, which claims thebenefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/729,296,filed Sep. 10, 2018, entitled “EDGE HMI MODULE SYSTEM AND METHOD” theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The “Internet of Things” provides many advantages for many applicationsincluding process control. Industry increasingly depends upon highlyautomated data acquisition and control systems to ensure that industrialprocesses are run efficiently, safely and reliably while lowering theiroverall production costs. Data acquisition begins when sensors measureaspects of an industrial process and periodically report theirmeasurements back to a data collection and control system. Suchmeasurements come in a wide variety of forms. By way of example, themeasurements produced by a sensor and/or recorder include: temperature,pressure, pH, a mass and/or volume flow of material, a tallied inventoryof packages waiting in a shipping line, and/or a photograph of a room ina factory. Sophisticated process management and control softwareexamines the incoming data, produces status reports, and, in many cases,responds by sending commands to actuators and/or controllers that adjustthe operation of at least a portion of the industrial process. The dataproduced by the sensors can also allow an operator to perform severalsupervisory tasks including: tailoring the process (e.g., specify newset points) in response to varying external conditions (including costsof raw materials), detecting an inefficient and/or non-optimal operatingcondition and/or impending equipment failure, and/or taking remedialactions, such as moving equipment into and out of service as required.

Typical industrial processes are extremely complex and receivesubstantially greater volumes of information than any human couldpossibly digest in its raw form. By way of example, it is not unheard ofto have thousands of sensors and control elements (e.g., valveactuators) monitoring and/or controlling aspects of a multi-stageprocess within an industrial plant. These sensors are of varied type andreport on varied characteristics of the process. Their outputs aresimilarly varied in the meaning of their measurements, in the amount ofdata sent for each measurement, and in the frequency of theirmeasurements. Regarding the latter, for accuracy and to enable quickresponse, some of these sensors and/or control elements take one or moremeasurements every second. Multiplying a single sensor and/or controlelement by thousands of sensors and/or control elements (a typicalindustrial control environment) results in an overwhelming volume ofdata flowing into the manufacturing information and process controlsystem. Sophisticated data management and process visualizationtechniques have been developed to handle the large volumes of datagenerated by such systems.

Highly advanced human-machine interface and/or process visualizationsystems exist today that are linked to data sources such as theabove-described sensors and controllers. Such systems acquire and digest(e.g., filter) the process data described above. The digested processdata in-turn drives a graphical display rendered by a human machineinterface. Examples of such systems are the well-known WonderwareINTOUCH® human-machine interface software system for visualizing andcontrolling a wide variety of industrial processes. The INTOUCH® HMIempowers users to quickly and easily develop custom graphical views oftheir processes. Animated graphical images driven by constantly changingprocess data values within data streams are considerably easier for ahuman observer to comprehend than a stream of numbers. For this reason,process visualization systems, such as INTOUCH® software, have becomekey components of supervisory process control and manufacturinginformation systems.

However, conventional automated data acquisition and control systems areheavily dependent on cloud-based servers and databases that can causelatency delays, slow, intermittent, and/or disrupted connections. Hence,new systems could benefit from performing some process analytics andother functions including providing a human-machine-interface (“HMI”)locally with the capability to perform real-time data capture,independent operational data streaming, and graphical visualizations ofthe data using “edge” computing capabilities.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a network architecture in accordance with someembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a computer system comprising or included with or inthe network architecture of FIG. 1 according to at least one embodimentof the invention.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments include a server system comprising a program logictangibly stored on at least one non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium including edge logic of at least one edge computing deviceconfigured to be coupled to a network. In some embodiments, the networkincludes a cloud platform configured to install ahuman-machine-interface functionality to the at least one edge computingdevice. Some embodiments include at least one processor coupled to thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium, where upon execution ofat least a portion of the program logic by the at least one processor,the at least one processor is configured to process steps of a method.In some embodiments, the steps include transmitting ahuman-machine-interface logic from a cloud platform of the network tothe at least one edge computing device.

In some embodiments, the steps include configuring the at least one edgecomputing device as a human-machine-interface (HMI). In someembodiments, the steps include coupling a data ingester and establishinga data connection to a distributed environment of the network. In someembodiments, the steps include operating the data ingester to discoverthe at least one device and receive data from the at least one device.In some embodiments, the steps include operating at least one HMIapplication of the human-machine-interface logic to receive one or morecurrent state data of the at least one device. In some embodiments, thesteps include, based at least in part on the one or more current statedata of the at least one device, processing a graphical visualization ofat least one update to at least a portion of the network.

In some embodiments, the at least one edge computing device includessoftware executable by the at least one processor configured to enablethe at least one edge computing device to perform operations locallywhen connected or disconnected from one or more portions of the network.

In some embodiments, the operations include analyzing at least onecharacteristic of the at least one device of the distributed environmentfrom data received from a data cache of the at least one edge computingdevice, and preparing a human-machine-interface module for a graphicaldisplay to at least one user.

In some embodiments, the network includes a historian module supportingdata retrieval operations from the distributed environment includingtime-series data from the at least one device, where the time-seriesdata comprises the one or more current state data.

In some embodiments, the one or more current state data comprises areal-time operational data of the at least one device of the distributedenvironment, and the at least one edge computing device includes logicconfigured to prepare a graphical representation based on the real-timeoperational data displayed by the human-machine-interface logic.

In some embodiments, the one or more current state data are generated byone or more sensor devices measuring the one or more current state datafrom the at least one device of the distributed environment.

In some embodiments, the network includes a historian module supportingdata retrieval operations from the distributed environment includingtime-series data from the at least one device.

In some embodiments, the at least one device of the distributedenvironment includes one or more of pressure sensors, temperaturesensors, motion sensors, density sensors, weight sensors, viscositysensors, accelerometers, servos, contactors, switches, limit switches,solenoids, motors, valves, heaters, heat exchangers, pumps, fans,boilers, turbines, generators, conveyors, augers, elevators, mills,drills, presses, and manufacturing equipment.

Some embodiments include a computer-implemented method comprising thesteps of: i). receiving, by at least one edge computing device, from aserver processor of a cloud platform coupled to a network,human-machine-interface logic associated with a local display of datareceived from at least one device of a distributed environment coupledto the network; ii). using at least a portion of thehuman-machine-interface logic, configuring the at least one edgecomputing device as a human-machine-interface (HMI); iii). using atleast a portion of the human-machine-interface logic, coupling a dataingester and establishing a data connection to the distributedenvironment of the network; iv). using at least a portion of thehuman-machine-interface logic, operating the data ingester to discoverthe at least one device and receive data from the at least one device;v). using at least a portion of the human-machine-interface logic,operating at least one HMI application to receive one or more currentstate data of the at least one device; and/or vi). and/or using at leasta portion of the human-machine-interface logic, based at least in parton the one or more current state data of the at least one device,processing a graphical visualization of at least one update to at leasta portion of the network.

In some embodiments of the method, the one or more current state dataare generated by one or more sensor devices measuring the one or morecurrent state data from the at least one device of the distributedenvironment.

In some embodiments of the method, the human-machine-interface logicincludes a human-machine-interface and human-machine-interfaceconfiguration data. In some further embodiments of the method, at leastone of steps (ii) to (vii) operate at least once without an operabledata connection between the at least one edge computing device and thecloud platform. In some other embodiments of the method, the step (iv)is repeated following step (vii).

In some embodiments of the method, the at least one edge computingdevice includes software executable by the at least one processorconfigured to enable the at least one edge computing device to performoperations locally when connected or disconnected from one or moreportions of the network. In some further embodiments of the method, theoperations include analyzing at least one characteristic of the at leastone device of the distributed environment from data received from a datacache of the at least one edge computing device, and preparing ahuman-machine-interface module for a graphical display to at least oneuser.

In some embodiments of the method, the one or more current state dataare generated by one or more sensor devices measuring the one or morecurrent state data from the at least one device of the distributedenvironment. In some embodiments of the method, thehuman-machine-interface logic includes logic configured to enable dataflow between the at least one edge computing device and the at least onedevice regardless of operational aspects of one or more connections inthe network.

In some embodiments of the method, the at least one edge computingdevice includes software executable by a processor of the at least oneedge computing device enabling the at least one edge computing device tooperate locally when connected or disconnected from one or more portionsof the network. In some further embodiments of the method, the networkincludes a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systemoperationally coupled to the cloud platform and the distributedenvironment and configured to provide a visual representation in agraphical user interface including a display of the one or more currentstate data. In some embodiments of the method, the supervisory controland data acquisition (SCADA) system comprises thehuman-machine-interface logic.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood thatthe phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein ismeant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereofas well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, theterms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variationsthereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirectmountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected”and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connectionsor couplings.

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in theart to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modificationsto the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to otherembodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of theinvention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to belimited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Thefollowing detailed description is to be read with reference to thefigures, in which like elements in different figures have like referencenumerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depictselected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope ofembodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize theexamples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall withinthe scope of embodiments of the invention.

Embodiments of the invention herein generally describe non-conventionalapproaches to systems and methods to data processing and management thatare not well-known, and further, are not taught or suggested by anyknown conventional methods or systems. Moreover, the specific functionalfeatures are a significant technological improvement over conventionalmethods and systems, including at least the operation and functioning ofa computing system that are technological improvements. Thesetechnological improvements include one or more aspects of the systemsand methods described herein that describe the specifics of how amachine operates, which the Federal Circuit makes clear is the essenceof statutory subject matter.

One or more of the embodiments described herein include functionallimitations that cooperate in an ordered combination to transform theoperation of a data repository in a way that improves the problem ofdata storage and updating of databases that previously existed. Inparticular, some embodiments described herein include system and methodsfor managing single or multiple content data items across disparatesources or applications that create a problem for users of such systemsand services, and where maintaining reliable control over distributedinformation is difficult or impossible.

The description herein further describes some embodiments that providenovel features that improve the performance of communication andsoftware, systems and servers by providing automated functionality thateffectively and more efficiently manages resources and asset data for auser in a way that cannot effectively be done manually. Therefore, theperson of ordinary skill can easily recognize that these functionsprovide the automated functionality, as described herein, in a mannerthat is not well-known, and certainly not conventional. As such, theembodiments of the invention described herein are not directed to anabstract idea and further provide significantly more tangibleinnovation. Moreover, the functionalities described herein were notimaginable in previously-existing computing systems, and did not existuntil some embodiments of the invention solved the technical problemdescribed earlier.

Some embodiments of the invention include applications that benefit fromperforming some process analytics and other functions locally beforesending data to a cloud platform using “edge” computing. Someembodiments of the invention comprise an “Internet of Things” (“TOT”)visualization capability for process and device visualization on theedge. In some embodiments, an “TOT-HMI” capability and configuration aremanaged from a cloud platform and deployed to an edge computingframework. In some embodiments, an edge computing module or device ofthe system can provide a web-based human machine interface enablinggraphical visualization of real-time data flowing through an edge moduleto a cloud platform. In some embodiments, such a system can enable a lowor reduced latency time. Further, some embodiments do not requireinternet connectivity to perform one or more intended functions. Someembodiments allow for continued operational visibility at a locationwhen connectivity fails or a cloud computing system or server platformoutage occurs.

Some embodiments of the “IOT-HMI” capability comprise four majorcomponents or modules including a “TOT-HMI Module”, a “Current DataCache Module”, at least one “Device Discovery/Data Ingester”, and afourth module comprising a cloud-based configuration and managementsystem of a network. Some embodiments comprise at least one edgecomputing device that does not need to be connected to the networkduring deployment configuration. Some further embodiments include anedge computing device that can self-provision itself upon nextconnection. Some embodiments include a common intelligent model and aWonderware® software online component for persistent configurationstorage. Some embodiments include AVEVA Insight software forvisualization and manipulation of transmitted state changes.

Some embodiments relate to improved operation and visualization of datain electronic devices including, for example, a computer or computerserver (e.g., such as a computer system or server functioning as amanufacturing execution system) that provides a technological solutionwhere users can more efficiently monitor processes, retrieve, process,and view useful data. Some embodiments include a system and methods forarranging, structuring, and transmitting data or datasets in a computeror computer server using one or more data or data streams. In someembodiments, the data or datasets can comprise one or more data forvisualizing alarms, alerts, status updates, and/or utilization datarelated to at least one asset within an HMI.

Some embodiments include one or more methods operated by program logicexecuted by at least one processor of a computer system that can providean environment that allows users to utilize one or more remote or“off-premise” computing devices to visualize data or blocks of data,monitor data and alarms, status updates, and utilization including oneor more transitions to or from an alarm or alert state, and/or statuschange, and utilization update or change (e.g., such as those that maybe received from an industrial process system of a distributedenvironment). In some embodiments, this information may be conveyed to auser in the form of text and/or graphics in a human-machine-interface ofthe computing device, such as in one or more graphical user interfaces.In some embodiments, the text and/or graphics may include a variety oficons indicating different event data, storage blocks, or snapshots,alarms status updates, and utilization.

Referring to FIG. 1, illustrating a network architecture 100, someembodiments include integration of data from distributed assets in adistributed environment 110 such as equipment data specifications,maintenance records, related events, and/or drawings and piping andinstrumentation diagrams integrated into a supervisory control and dataacquisition (hereinafter “SCADA”) system 105. In some embodiments, thedistributed network 110 can include a plurality of devices 115 that maycomprise a wide variety of sensors, actuators, machines, and otherequipment. In some embodiments, the devices 115 may comprise pressuresensors, temperature sensors, motion sensors, density sensors, weightsensors, viscosity sensors, accelerometers, servos, and other kinds ofsensors. In some further embodiments, the devices 115 may comprisecontactors, switches, and limit switches. In some other embodiments, thedevices 115 may comprise solenoids, motors, valves, heaters, heatexchangers, pumps, fans, boilers, turbines, generators, conveyors,augers, elevators, mills, drills, presses, and other manufacturingequipment. In some embodiments, the devices 115 may receive and/ortransmit a variety of signals including analog signals and/or digitalsignals.

In some embodiments, the SCADA system 105 can present information to anoperator or user about the utilization of a process such as one or moredistributed assets including one or more distributed components of aprocess control and/or manufacturing information system of theaforementioned distributed environment 110. In some embodiments, theSCADA system 105 can manage and/or function as a human-machine interface(“HMI”) enabling intake and processing of an operators controlinstructions. In some embodiments, software instructions stored on atangible, non-transitory media and executable by a processor can receivedata indicative of a manufacturing and/or process control system beingmonitored, and display a user interface indicative of a status of themanufacturing and/or process control system being monitored where thestatus is based on the received data. In addition, some logicinstructions can manage a display of graphic elements as part of theuser interface, where one or more of the elements is associated with andindicative of a utilization and/or status (e.g., such as an alarmstatus, or a specific utilization, or fault) of one or more aspects ofthe manufacturing/process control system being monitored. As discussedfurther below, in some further embodiments, an HMI function can bedelegated to, transferred to, or installed to one or more edge computingdevices. In some embodiments, program logic of the HMI can provide agraphical view/window representing a status or utilization of aprocess/plant, and/or a specific piece of equipment, and/or component,or portion thereof based upon information obtained via deviceintegration and application objects from devices/controllers residing inthe network. In some embodiments, a view engine can host individual ormultiple HMI object instances corresponding to various configuredprocess/facility views driven by information provided by, for example aconnected device in the distributed environment 110.

Some embodiments include a historian module or modules 135 supporting anextensible set of advanced data retrieval operations. An example of suchsystem is a Wonderware® historian that can collect time-series datavalues for observed parameters from a variety of data sources (e.g.,from the distributed environment 110). The collected time-series data isthereafter deposited with the historian module or modules 135 to achievedata access efficiency and querying benefits/capabilities of thehistorian's database. Through its database, the historian module ormodules 135 integrates plant data with event, summary, production andconfiguration information. A non-limiting example embodiment of theoperational functions and characteristics of the historian module ormodules 135 is described in more detail below.

Some embodiments include an “Internet of Things” (hereinafter “IoT”)equipment HMI capability within the distributed environment 110. In someembodiments, an HMI module can monitor multiple sensor values from oneor more devices 115 of the distributed environment 110, and usinginformation stored in a cloud-based common intelligent model, uses thosevalues to determine either or both of an equipment state or utilizationof one or more devices 115 of the distributed environment 110, and/orenable a real-time or near real-time visual representation of data.Further, some embodiments of the invention enable a local low or reducedlatency generation of state events with reduced traffic to and/or from acloud-based computing system such as that defined by the cloud 120.Moreover, some embodiments of the invention can operate, function, andprocess data without internet connectivity. Some embodiments can enablecontinued use when connectivity fails or a cloud platform outage occurs.For example, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the networkarchitecture 100 can continue to function with a local low or reducedlatency generation or without internet connectivity. In someembodiments, the system performance advantages can be enabled by ascalable edge computing capability within a distributed controlenvironment.

Some embodiments include one or more edge computing devices comprisingat least one HMI module 140, each of which can comprise an edge module.For example, some embodiments comprise at least one edge module 145 forlocal data processing, local execution, operation, and one or more HMIcapabilities as discussed earlier. Further, some embodiments comprise atleast one edge cache module 150 for local storage of a current statedata from one or more discovered devices, and at least one devicediscovery/data ingester 155 for processing incoming data from one ormore discovered devices. In some embodiments, the current state data canbe generated by one or more sensor devices measuring the current statedata from the at least one device 115 of the distributed environment110. In some embodiments, the current state data is real-time ornear-real-time data received from one or more of the devices 115.

In some embodiments, the at least one edge module 145 can compriseprogram logic tangibly stored on at least one non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium such as the at least one edge cachemodule 150. In some embodiments, at least one processor of the networkarchitecture 100 can be coupled to the non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium for execution of at least a portion of the program logicto operate a process, function, or method of the network architecture100 including for transfer of data between the cloud 120 and the atleast one edge module 145. In some embodiments, the at least one edgemodule 145 can provide a web-based human machine interface enablinggraphical visualization of real-time data flowing through at least oneedge module 145 to a cloud platform such as the cloud 120 and/or thedistributed network 110.

In some embodiments, an application interface of the networkarchitecture 100 can be accessed by executing program logic toinitialize an application object. For example, in some embodiments, alogic engine of the program logic can start-up or shut-down anapplication object of the edge module 145, and/or initiate a scheduledexecution of a corresponding application code. In some embodiments, atleast a portion of the edge module 145 can include program logic thatinitializes an application, starts-up or shuts-down an application,and/or schedules an application, and/or attempts to initiate a datatransfer protocol with at least one remote network (e.g., such as thecloud 120 and/or the distributed environment 110. For example, in someembodiments, following execution of the program logic, one or more edgecomputing devices can present information to an operator or user aboutthe utilization of a process such as one or more distributed assetsincluding one or more distributed components of a process control and/ormanufacturing information system of the aforementioned distributedenvironment 110.

In some embodiments, an edge module 145 can manage and/or function as ahuman-machine interface (“HMI”) enabling intake and processing ofcontrol instructions, and using software instructions stored on atangible, non-transitory media and executable by a processor, canreceive data indicative of a manufacturing/process control system beingmonitored, and display a user interface indicative of a status of themanufacturing/process control system being monitored. Some logicinstructions of the edge module 145 can manage a display of graphicelements as part of the user interface, where one or more of theelements is associated with and/or indicative of a utilization and/orstatus (e.g., such as an alarm status, or a specific utilization, orfault) of one or more aspects of the manufacturing/process controlsystem being monitored. In some embodiments, program logic of the HMIedge module 145 can provide a graphical view/window representing astatus or utilization of a process/plant, and/or a specific piece ofequipment, and/or component, or portion thereof based upon informationobtained via device integration and application objects fromdevices/controllers residing in the network. In some embodiments, a viewengine can host individual or multiple HMI object instancescorresponding to various configured process/facility views driven byinformation provided by, for example a connected device in thedistributed environment 110.

In some embodiments, the edge module 145 can download application orconfiguration data and/or updates from the cloud 120. For example, insome embodiments, a download process 190 can be initiated to downloadthe HMI application 125, and/or the HMI configuration 126 to at leastone edge module 145 of at least one HMI module 140. Further, in someembodiments, a download process 190 can be initiated to download atleast one update to the HMI application 125, and/or at least one updateto the HMI configuration 126 to at least one edge module 145 of at leastone HMI module 140. In some embodiments, any changes or subsequentuploads from the HMI application 125, and/or the HMI configuration 126can be automatically or specifically uploaded to the HMI module 140. TheHMI module can then update itself with any application changes from theuploaded version.

In some embodiments, the HMI application and HMI capability are deployedfrom the cloud to on-premise (i.e., to one or more edge computingdevices). Some embodiments include the ability to deploy an HMIcapability from the cloud 120, connect to local devices and providelocal graphical visualization of data. For example, some embodiments ofthe invention include local visualization of real-time data flowingthrough at least one edge computing device such as an edge computingdevice 145 of an HMI module 140.

In some embodiments, an application interface of the networkarchitecture 100 can be accessed by executing a bootstrap logic toinitialize an application object. In some embodiments, an engine of thebootstrap logic can startup an application object, and/or initiate ascheduled execution of a corresponding application code. In someembodiments, at least a portion of edge cache module 150 can include thebootstrap logic that initializes or starts an application, and/orschedules an application.

Some embodiments of the invention comprise a common intelligent model,and/or a Wonderware® online component, for persistent configurationstorage. For example, in some embodiments, the historian module ormodules 135 support data retrieval operations and data sharing at leastone of the edge modules 145. Some embodiments include AVEVA Insightsoftware for visualization and manipulation of transmitted statechanges. For example, some embodiments include integration with one ormore modules of Wonderware® INTOUCH® software.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of the logic executable by aprocessor of the network architecture 100 includes a historian 135communicatively coupled to the at least one distributed environment 110,where the historian 135 is configured to enable the user to receive,store, and transmit the data or data streams. In general, the historiancan store (i.e., “historize”) various types of data related to at leastone device or component of an industrial process. Some example data caninclude, but is not limited to, time-series data, metadata, event data,configuration data, raw time-series binary data, tag metadata,diagnostic log data, and the like. In some embodiments, the historian135 can also be adapted to record trends and historical informationabout the industrial process for future reference. In some embodiments,the historian 135 can analyze process related data stored in anoperational historian database and transform that data into timelyreports that are communicated to one or more user devices. In thismanner, an operational historian can filter data to raise the visibilityof the data to users (e.g., via user devices). In some embodiments, theuser devices can be embodied as mobile devices with a mobile applicationutilizing aspects of a browser-based display that can render datacomponents including charts, trends, grids, etc.

In some embodiments, at least some program logic of the networkarchitecture 100 can include a reporting service can be adapted toretrieve data from historian 135, detect patterns in the retrieved data,generate reports that include information about the detected patterns,and store the generated reports in the report repository, such as adatabase. In some embodiments, the reporting service may be provided asprocessor-executable instructions that comprise a procedure, a function,a routine, a method, and/or a subprogram utilized independently or inconjunction with additional aspects of network architecture 100 bycomputing device of the SCADA 105. In some embodiments, applicationspecific reporting services can be based on a client applicationconfiguration, and/or the HMI of the SCADA 105 and/or the one or moreHMI modules 140. In some further embodiments, the application specificreporting services can analyze incoming data using algorithms and todetect certain patterns (e.g., “pattern of interest”) and/ornon-conformities in the data for reporting and/or for triggering analarm and/or reporting a specific utilization. For example, somealgorithms include statistical algorithms, machine learning algorithms,rules-based algorithms, mapping algorithm or rules, and the like,capable of detecting certain patterns.

In a non-limiting example embodiment, a report or update, including anyreport or update processed by an HMI module 140 in real-time or nearreal-time can include text, graphics (e.g., graphs, images, etc.),and/or metadata, and/or one or more alarms or alarm data, and/or one ormore utilization characteristics flowing through the edge module 145from at least one device of the plurality of devices 115 after intakeinto the device discovery/data ingester 155. In some embodiments, thereports or updates may include the information about the detectedpatterns in a format that is amenable to the curating service and/or aformat that is human-understandable when displayed via a display deviceand/or an HMI including, without limitation, the edge module 145.

In some embodiments of the invention, the HMI application 125 and/or HMIconfiguration 126 can be developed using HMI development tools 119 anduploaded to the cloud 120. In some embodiments, any changes orsubsequent uploads from the HMI development tools 119 can beautomatically or specifically uploaded to the HMI module 140. The HMImodule can then update itself with any application changes from theuploaded version.

In some embodiments, the HMI application 125 and/or HMI configuration126 can be assigned to at least one edge module 145 even when thosedevices are offline. Some embodiments include a software module assignedto at least one edge module 145 that can self-configure, and/or downloaditself to one or more applicable HMI module 140. Further, someembodiments include a software module of at least one edge module 145that can operate locally and continue to function even if disconnectedfrom one or more portions of the network architecture 100, including,but not limited to, the cloud 120. Some embodiments include a local lowlatency generation of utilization events with reduced traffic to thecloud 120.

In some embodiments, at least one HMI module 140 can couple to a networkof the network architecture 100 using any fixed or mobile computingdevice that can be wired and/or wirelessly coupled to the Internet orthrough an Intranet and/or Ethernet, including, but not limited to,personal digital assistants, and/or cellular phones, mobile phones, orsmart phones, and/or pagers, and/or digital tablets, and/or fixed ormobile internet appliances. In some embodiments, one or more componentsof the network architecture 100 can include numerous user devices whichcan be personal computers including for example desktop computers,laptop computers, digital assistants, personal digital assistants,cellular phones, mobile phones, smart phones, pagers, digital tablets,internet appliances, vehicular displays, wearable displays, virtualreality viewing devices such as virtual reality headsets, virtualreality glasses, and the like and other processor-based devices.

In some embodiments, data connections or transfers within the networkarchitecture 100 can include one or more gateways, servers, and/orfirewalls. For example, in some embodiments, a connection between one ormore of edge modules 145 can include a gateway 175 and/or server 177. Insome embodiments, any one or more of the connections and/or datatransfers of the network architecture 100 can include a gateway 175and/or server 177, and/or at least one firewall.

Referring to FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the computer system 210 caninclude and/or operate and/or process computer-executable code of one ormore of the above-mentioned software modules and/or systems. Further, insome embodiments, the computer system 210 can operate and/or displayinformation within one or more graphical user interfaces such as the GUIof FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the computer system 210 can comprise thecloud and/or can be coupled to one or more cloud-based server systems.In some embodiments, the system 210 can comprise at least one computingdevice including at least one processor 232. In some embodiments, the atleast one processor 232 can include a processor residing in, or coupledto, one or more server platforms. In some embodiments, the system 210can include a network interface 235 a and an application interface 235 bcoupled to the least one processor 232 capable of processing at leastone operating system 234. Further, in some embodiments, the interfaces235 a, 235 b coupled to at least one processor 232 can be configured toprocess one or more of the software modules 238 (e.g., such as one ormore enterprise applications). In some embodiments, the software modules238 can include server-based software, and can operate to host at leastone user account and/or at least one client account, and operating totransfer data between one or more of these accounts using the at leastone processor 232.

With the above embodiments in mind, it should be understood that theinvention can employ various computer-implemented operations involvingdata stored in computer systems. Moreover, the above-described databasesand models described throughout can store analytical models and otherdata on computer-readable storage media within the system 210 and oncomputer-readable storage media coupled to the system 210. In addition,the above-described applications of the system can be stored oncomputer-readable storage media within the system 210 and oncomputer-readable storage media coupled to the system 210. Theseoperations are those requiring physical manipulation of physicalquantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take theform of electrical, electromagnetic, or magnetic signals, optical ormagneto-optical form capable of being stored, transferred, combined,compared and otherwise manipulated. In some embodiments of theinvention, the system 210 can comprise at least one computer readablemedium 236 coupled to at least one data source 237 a, and/or at leastone data storage device 237 b, and/or at least one input/output device237 c. In some embodiments, the invention can be embodied as computerreadable code on a computer readable medium 236. In some embodiments,the computer readable medium 236 can be any data storage device that canstore data, which can thereafter be read by a computer system (such asthe system 210). In some embodiments, the computer readable medium 236can be any physical or material medium that can be used to tangiblystore the desired information or data or instructions and which can beaccessed by a computer or processor 232. In some embodiments, thecomputer readable medium 236 can include hard drives, network attachedstorage (NAS), read-only memory, random-access memory, FLASH basedmemory, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVDs, magnetic tapes, other optical andnon-optical data storage devices. In some embodiments, various otherforms of computer-readable media 236 can transmit or carry instructionsto a computer 240 and/or at least one user 231, including a router,private or public network, or other transmission device or channel, bothwired and wireless. In some embodiments, the software modules 238 can beconfigured to send and receive data from a database (e.g., from acomputer readable medium 236 including data sources 237 a and datastorage 237 b that can comprise a database), and data can be received bythe software modules 238 from at least one other source. In someembodiments, at least one of the software modules 238 can be configuredwithin the system to output data to at least one user 231 via at leastone graphical user interface rendered on at least one digital display.

In some embodiments of the invention, the computer readable medium 236can be distributed over a conventional computer network via the networkinterface 235 a where the system embodied by the computer readable codecan be stored and executed in a distributed fashion. For example, insome embodiments, one or more components of the system 210 can becoupled to send and/or receive data through a local area network (“LAN”)239 a and/or an internet coupled network 239 b (e.g., such as a wirelessinternet). In some further embodiments, the networks 239 a, 239 b caninclude wide area networks (“WAN”), direct connections (e.g., through auniversal serial bus port), or other forms of computer-readable media236, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, components of the networks 239 a, 239 b can includeany number of user devices such as personal computers including forexample desktop computers, and/or laptop computers, or any fixed,generally non-mobile internet appliances coupled through the LAN 239 a.For example, some embodiments include at least one computer 240 coupledthrough the LAN 239 a that can be configured for any type of userincluding an administrator. Other embodiments can include personalcomputers coupled through network 239 b. In some further embodiments,one or more components of the system 210 can be coupled to send orreceive data through an internet network (e.g., such as network 239 b).For example, some embodiments include at least one user 231 coupledwirelessly and accessing one or more software modules of the systemincluding at least one enterprise application 238 via an input andoutput (“I/O”) device 237 c. In some other embodiments, the system 210can enable at least one user 231 to be coupled to access enterpriseapplications 238 via an I/O device 237 c through LAN 239 a. In someembodiments, the user 231 can comprise a user 231 a coupled to thesystem 210 using a desktop computer, and/or laptop computers, or anyfixed, generally non-mobile internet appliances coupled through theinternet 239 b. In some further embodiments, the user 231 can comprise amobile user 231 b coupled to the system 210. In some embodiments, theuser 231 b can use any mobile computing device 231 c to wireless coupledto the system 210, including, but not limited to, personal digitalassistants, and/or cellular phones, mobile phones, or smart phones,and/or pagers, and/or digital tablets, and/or fixed or mobile internetappliances.

Any of the operations described herein that form part of the inventionare useful machine operations. The invention also relates to a device oran apparatus for performing these operations. The apparatus can bespecially constructed for the required purpose, such as a specialpurpose computer. When defined as a special purpose computer, thecomputer can also perform other processing, program execution orroutines that are not part of the special purpose, while still beingcapable of operating for the special purpose. Alternatively, theoperations can be processed by a general-purpose computer selectivelyactivated or configured by one or more computer programs stored in thecomputer memory, cache, or obtained over a network. When data isobtained over a network the data can be processed by other computers onthe network, e.g. a cloud of computing resources.

The embodiments of the invention can also be defined as a machine thattransforms data from one state to another state. The data can representan article, that can be represented as an electronic signal andelectronically manipulate data. The transformed data can, in some cases,be visually depicted on a display, representing the physical object thatresults from the transformation of data. The transformed data can besaved to storage generally, or in particular formats that enable theconstruction or depiction of a physical and tangible object. In someembodiments, the manipulation can be performed by a processor. In suchan example, the processor thus transforms the data from one thing toanother. Still further, some embodiments include methods can beprocessed by one or more machines or processors that can be connectedover a network. Each machine can transform data from one state or thingto another, and can also process data, save data to storage, transmitdata over a network, display the result, or communicate the result toanother machine. Computer-readable storage media, as used herein, refersto physical or tangible storage (as opposed to signals) and includeswithout limitation volatile and non-volatile, removable andnon-removable storage media implemented in any method or technology forthe tangible storage of information such as computer-readableinstructions, data structures, program modules or other data.

For the purposes of this disclosure the term “server” should beunderstood to refer to a service point which provides processing,database, and communication facilities. A computing device may becapable of sending or receiving signals, such as via a wired or wirelessnetwork, or may be capable of processing or storing signals, such as inmemory as physical memory states, and may, therefore, operate as aserver. Thus, devices capable of operating as a server may include, asexamples, dedicated rack-mounted servers, desktop computers, laptopcomputers, set top boxes, integrated devices combining various features,such as two or more features of the foregoing devices, or the like. Byway of example, and not limitation, the term “server” can refer to asingle, physical processor with associated communications and datastorage and database facilities, or it can refer to a networked orclustered complex of processors and associated network and storagedevices, as well as operating software and one or more database systemsand application software that support the services provided by theserver. Servers may vary widely in configuration or capabilities, butgenerally a server may include one or more central processing units andmemory. A server may also include one or more mass storage devices, oneor more power supplies, one or more wired or wireless networkinterfaces, one or more input/output interfaces, or one or moreoperating systems, such as a Microsoft® Windows® Server, Mac OS X, Unix,Linux, and/or any other conventional operating system.

For the purposes of this disclosure a “network” should be understood torefer to a network that may couple devices so that communications may beexchanged, such as between a server and a client device, peer to peercommunications, or other types of devices, including between wirelessdevices coupled via a wireless network, for example. A network may alsoinclude mass storage, such as network attached storage (NAS), a storagearea network (SAN), or other forms of computer or machine-readablemedia, for example. A network may include the Internet, one or morelocal area networks (LANs), one or more wide area networks (WANs),wire-line type connections, wireless type connections, cellular or anycombination thereof. Likewise, sub-networks, which may employ differingarchitectures or may be compliant or compatible with differingprotocols, may interoperate within a larger network. Various types ofdevices may, for example, be made available to provide an interoperablecapability for differing architectures or protocols. As one illustrativeexample, a router may provide a link between otherwise separate andindependent LANs. A communication link or channel may include, forexample, analog telephone lines, such as a twisted wire pair, a coaxialcable, full or fractional digital lines including T1, T2, T3, or T4 typelines, “Integrated Services Digital Networks” (ISDNs), “DigitalSubscriber Lines” (DSLs), wireless links including satellite links, orother communication links or channels, such as may be known to thoseskilled in the art. Furthermore, a computing device or other relatedelectronic devices may be remotely coupled to a network, such as via atelephone line or link, for example.

For purposes of this disclosure, a “wireless network” should beunderstood to couple user or client devices with a network. A wirelessnetwork may employ stand-alone ad-hoc networks, mesh networks, wirelessLAN (WLAN) networks, cellular networks, or the like. A wireless networkmay further include a system of terminals, gateways, routers, or thelike coupled by wireless radio links, or the like, which may movefreely, randomly or organize themselves arbitrarily, such that networktopology may change, at times even rapidly. A wireless network mayfurther employ a plurality of network access technologies, including“Long Term Evolution” (LTE), WLAN, wireless router (WR) mesh, or 2nd,3rd, 4th, or 5th generation (2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G) cellular technology, orthe like. Network access technologies may enable wide area coverage fordevices, such as client devices with varying degrees of mobility, forexample. For example, a network may enable RF or wireless typecommunication via one or more network access technologies, such as“Global System for Mobile communication” (GSM), “Universal MobileTelecommunications System” (UMTS), “General Packet Radio Services”(GPRS), “Enhanced Data GSM Environment” (EDGE), 3GPP LTE, LTE Advanced,“Wideband Code Division Multiple Access” (WCDMA), Bluetooth®,802.11b/g/n, or the like. A wireless network may include virtually anytype of wireless communication mechanism by which signals may becommunicated between devices, such as a client device or a computingdevice, between or within a network, or the like.

For purposes of this disclosure, a client (or consumer or user) devicemay include a computing device capable of sending or receiving signals,such as via a wired or a wireless network. A client device may, forexample, include a desktop computer or a portable device, such as acellular telephone, a smart phone, a display pager, a radio frequency(RF) device, an infrared (IR) device, a near field communication (NFC)device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld computer, atablet computer, a phablet, a laptop computer, a set top box, a wearablecomputer, an integrated device combining various features, such asfeatures of the forgoing devices, or the like.

A client device may vary in terms of capabilities or features, andclaimed subject matter is intended to cover a wide range of potentialvariations. A web-enabled fixed or mobile device may include a browserapplication that is configured to receive and to send web pages,web-based messages, and the like. The browser application may beconfigured to receive and display graphics, text, multimedia, and thelike, employing virtually any conventional web-based language. In someembodiments, one or more services of any of the systems described hereincan be hosted/consumed in an HTML5 compatible browser. However, otherembodiments can include wrapping the service up in a C# component thatembeds the NVDEC decoder i.e. not use a browser control. In someembodiments, the service presents an API supporting zoomto/highlighting, and/or picking return of a selected tagidentifier/name.

It is noted that the network architecture 100 depicted in FIG. 1 anddescribed hereinabove is merely an example of a system including amulti-layered hierarchical architecture for a supervisory processcontrol and manufacturing information system. It is further noted thatFIG. 1 is presented as a logical view of the hosting and/or containmentinterrelations between installed components including software andphysical computing hardware. The system disclosed herein is suitable forvirtually any network topology. For example, some embodiments of theinvention are applicable to a system wherein both configuration utilityand supervisory process control visualization applications run on asingle computer system linked to a controlled process. Further, althoughmethod operations can be described in a specific order, it should beunderstood that other housekeeping operations can be performed inbetween operations, or operations can be adjusted so that they occur atslightly different times, or can be distributed in a system which allowsthe occurrence of the processing operations at various intervalsassociated with the processing, as long as the processing of the overlayoperations are performed in the desired way.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while theinvention has been described above in connection with particularembodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited,and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications anddepartures from the embodiments, examples and uses are intended to beencompassed by the description and claims herein.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A server system comprising; program logictangibly stored on at least one non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium, the program logic including edge logic of at least one edgecomputing device configured to be coupled to a network, the networkincluding a cloud platform configured to install ahuman-machine-interface functionality to the at least one edge computingdevice; at least one processor coupled to the non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium, wherein upon execution of at least aportion of the program logic by the at least one processor, the at leastone processor is configured to execute steps including: configuring theat least one edge computing device as a human-machine-interface;coupling a data ingester and establishing a data connection to adistributed environment of the network; operating the data ingester toreceive data from the at least one edge computing device; operating atleast one human-machine-interface application of thehuman-machine-interface logic to receive one or more current state dataof the at least one edge computing device; and based at least in part onthe one or more current state data of the at least one edge computingdevice, processing a graphical visualization of at least one update toat least a portion of the network.
 2. The server system of claim 1,wherein the at least one edge computing device includes softwareexecutable by the at least one processor configured to enable the atleast one edge computing device to perform operations locally whenconnected or disconnected from one or more portions of the network. 3.The server system of claim 2, wherein the operations include analyzingat least one characteristic of the at least one device of thedistributed environment from data received from a data cache of the atleast one edge computing device, and preparing a human-machine-interfacemodule for a graphical display to at least one user.
 4. The serversystem of claim 1, wherein the network includes a historian modulesupporting data retrieval operations from the distributed environmentincluding time-series data from the at least one device, wherein thetime-series data comprises the one or more current state data.
 5. Theserver system of claim 1, wherein the one or more current state datacomprises real-time operational data of the at least one device of thedistributed environment, and the at least one edge computing deviceincludes logic configured to prepare a graphical representation based onthe real-time operational data displayed by the human-machine-interfacelogic.
 6. The server system of claim 1, wherein the one or more currentstate data are generated by one or more sensor devices measuring the oneor more current state data from the at least one device of thedistributed environment.
 7. The server system of claim 1, wherein thenetwork includes a historian module supporting data retrieval operationsfrom the distributed environment including time-series data from the atleast one device.
 8. The server system of claim 1, wherein the at leastone device of the distributed environment includes one or more ofpressure sensors, temperature sensors, motion sensors, density sensors,weight sensors, viscosity sensors, accelerometers, servos, contactors,switches, limit switches, solenoids, motors, valves, heaters, heatexchangers, pumps, fans, boilers, turbines, generators, conveyors,augers, elevators, mills, drills, presses, and manufacturing equipment.9. A computer-implemented method comprising the steps of: i) receiving,by at least one edge computing device, from a server processor of acloud platform coupled to a network, human-machine-interface logicassociated with a local display of data received from at least onedevice of a distributed environment coupled to the network; ii) using atleast a portion of the human-machine-interface logic, configuring the atleast one edge computing device as a human-machine-interface; iii) usingat least a portion of the human-machine-interface logic, coupling a dataingester and establishing a data connection to the distributedenvironment of the network; iv). using at least a portion of thehuman-machine-interface logic, operating the data ingester to receivedata from the at least one device; v). using at least a portion of thehuman-machine-interface logic, operating at least onehuman-machine-interface application to receive one or more current statedata of the at least one device; and vi). using at least a portion ofthe human-machine-interface logic, based at least in part on the one ormore current state data of the at least one device, processing agraphical visualization of at least one update to at least a portion ofthe network.
 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein theone or more current state data are generated by one or more sensordevices measuring the one or more current state data from the at leastone device of the distributed environment.
 11. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 9, wherein the human-machine-interface logic includes ahuman-machine-interface and human-machine-interface configuration data.12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein at least one ofsteps (ii) to (vi) operate at least once without an operable dataconnection between the at least one edge computing device and the cloudplatform.
 13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein step(iv) is repeated following step (vi).
 14. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 9, wherein the at least one edge computing deviceincludes software executable by the at least one processor configured toenable the at least one edge computing device to perform operationslocally when connected or disconnected from one or more portions of thenetwork.
 15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein theoperations include analyzing at least one characteristic of the at leastone device of the distributed environment from data received from a datacache of the at least one edge computing device, and preparing ahuman-machine-interface module for a graphical display to at least oneuser.
 16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the one ormore current state data are generated by one or more sensor devicesmeasuring the one or more current state data from the at least onedevice of the distributed environment.
 17. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 9, wherein the human-machine-interface logic includeslogic configured to enable data flow between the at least one edgecomputing device and the at least one device regardless of operationalaspects of one or more connections in the network.
 18. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the at least one edgecomputing device includes software executable by a processor of the atleast one edge computing device enabling the at least one edge computingdevice to operate locally when connected or disconnected from one ormore portions of the network.
 19. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 9, wherein the network includes a supervisory control and dataacquisition (SCADA) system operationally coupled to the cloud platformand the distributed environment and configured to provide a visualrepresentation in a graphical user interface including a display of theone or more current state data.
 20. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 19, wherein the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)system comprises the human-machine-interface logic.